'Blue Bloods' star Jennifer Esposito says she was locked in psych ward as health battle spiraled

This story discusses suicide.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Jennifer Esposito is opening up about the yearslong health battle that she says derailed her career, left her severely depressed and eventually landed her in a psychiatric ward before doctors diagnosed her with celiac disease.

During an appearance on Maria Menounos' "Heal Squad" podcast, Esposito, 53, recalled being a young actress in New York City when unexplained physical and mental health problems became so debilitating that she was forced to put her life on hold.

"I had a whole life beginning in the city, and I was a young actor and I had to stop everything," Esposito said.

MAYIM BIALIK DETAILS 'NIGHTMARE' AFTER ONE INJECTION OF GLP-1 DRUG LED TO WEEKS OF DEBILITATING SIDE EFFECTS The actress said she became " deeply depressed " and began having "thoughts of suicide" as doctors struggled to determine what was wrong.

"They brought me to a psychologist, like they had me on every medication," she recalled.

"They wanted to give me shock treatment at one point because I wasn't responding.

I'm very sensitive to medication.

It was a really bad time.

And my mother had people pray over me." Esposito said she eventually began to suspect that her physical and mental health symptoms could be connected to nutrition .

"I realized that there was a major connection with what I was eating and my vitamins and then my body," she said.

DAMON WAYANS REVEALS THE SCARY SYMPTOM THAT LED TO HIS TYPE 2 DIABETES DIAGNOSIS Her health began to "collapse" while she was working on the ABC comedy "Samantha Who?," which aired from 2007 to 2009, according to the actress.

Esposito recalled experiencing alarming physical symptoms, including losing her hair and fingernails.